Cutie Mark Caravan
by Lilac Iris
Summary: The sequel to "A Tale of 3 Fillies" The CMC embark on their journey to Canterlot to find their Cutie Marks, but who know what will happen along the way.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Incantations

It was Early afternoon in Ponyville, and Twilight Sparkle was halfheartedly rearranging some of the books in her library. It had been a while since Spikes last letter telling what the Cutie Mark Crusaders were doing, and she was anxiously waiting for the next one, hoping that it would have some valuable information that would let her know once and for all what those three fillies were up to.

Though she had been anticipating Spike's letter to arrive at any moment, it still caught her off guard when there was a bright green flash in front of her and a scroll had fallen to the ground. She quickly picked it using her magic and unfurled it before her eyes. She began to read the dragon's writing, her eyes scrolling back and forth as she quickly work her way though it. As she reach the end she stared at the last sentence and read it over and over until it was burned into her memory

"_The crusaders are leaving for for Canterlot TONIGHT!"_

"TONIGHT!" She said to nopony in particular, causing Owloysius to stir on his perch. "That only gives us a few hours until they leave, that's not much time to plan what we are going to do?" Her breathing was starting to speed up and she began pacing back and forth across the library. Rainbow Dash and Spike can follow them for now, but they can't follow them to Canterlot! We could all take turns following them, but that would mean that we would have to go back and forth to switch, and that wouldn't would! Oh, if only there was some way to track them and know what and how they were do... Wait, Track! That's it!" She began grabbing books off the shelf with her magic and reading the titles, throwing them one by one into the back corner of the library. She was getting more and more anxious as she went though book after book. After about two dozen book she finally stopped for a moment and told herself, "Now don't panic Twilight, take a deep breath and think about this." She took several deep breaths and she could feel her heart rate begin to go down. "Now let's think about this logically, now what section would a book be in if it was about tracking spells?" She thought to herself for a moment and finally said, "Well Pinkie Pie found the Elements of Harmony under "E", so maybe I should try "T". She walked over to one of the shelves and began to read the book titles as she slowly moved down the row.

"Trapeze...Trapping... Ah here we are!" She said as she lifted the book off the shelve and levitated it over to the table. "Tracking Spells and Scrying: Everything you need to know to find out everything that you want to know." she quickly began to read through the book and it's various spells. She continued into the late after noon, and would have gone longer if she hadn't heard the door open.

"Twilight dear, I was just coming over to see if you had heard any news from Spike and Rainbow Dash about my Sister and her friends?" It was the white unicorn Rarity, and while her mane and coat were perfectly styled as always, Twilight could see the worry in her eyes.

"I have in fact, and it was just as we thought, those three little fillies are planning to go to Canterlot, and they are leaving tonight."

"Tonight! Well we have to stop them, we can't let them go to Canterlot alone!" Rarity said, losing a little of her composure as she said it.

"I know it's a scary thought Rarity, but those three and stronger then you think, and I've been reading this book, and I think I found a few spells I can use so we can track them and see what they are doing, all I need is something from each of the crusaders, preferable something like hair, but an object that they hold dear will also work."

"Hair? I'll be back in just a minute." and with that the fashionista was out the door. Twilight walked into the kitchen and grabbed a large bowl, filled it with water, and brought it over to the table. She had barely set the bowl down when Rarity came running through the door, with Applejack and Pinkie Pie running in behind her.

"Back already? That was fast, and you brought Applejack and Pinkie with you?

"I saw Rarity runnin' through the middle town as fast as she could, and ah wondered if it had anything to do wi' Apple Bloom." The orange Earth Pony started.

"And I saw Applejack and Rarity running towards here and I wanted to see what everypony was so excited about." Pinkie added with a grin.

"Well let me bring you up to speed..." Twilight quickly told her friends about the Crusader's plan and about the book she had been reading. "... And that's why Rarity was running through town. By the way, did you find anything?" Twilight said as she turned towards the other unicorn.

"Most certainly Twilight, here you go." With that she opened her saddlebag and handed twilight a hairbrush.

"Sweetie Belle used this brush to comb her mane every night before bed, we would sit next to each other and each count out out one hundred strokes, it was our nightly ritual." Her voiced cracked at the end, and the white unicorn took a deep breath to compose herself. Twilight gave her friend a moment and then used her magic to pull several light purple and pink hairs off it and dropped them in the bowl of water.

"Now I need to concentrate on this, I've read about the spell but have never actually done it, and I don't want to mess it up."

Rarity and Applejack nodded, while pinkie Pie made a motion of zipping her mouth shut, and then all three gather around the bowl to see what Twilight was about to do.

Twilight closed her eyes and her horn began to glow, the purple light slowing spreading to and enveloping the bowl. Then the water began to swirl as if it were being stirred, and the three ponies watched as the water slowed and colors began to appear until they could clearly see a small white unicorn sleeping under a blanket with a small smile on her face. As the picture water became still Twilight opened her eyes and looked at her handiwork.

"Yay it worked! Now we can see where Sweetie Belle is, but she can't see or hear us, it's called scrying.

"HEY SLEEPYHEAD! WAKE UP!" Pinkie yelled, startling her friends while Sweetie Belle continued to sleep.

"Now what in the hay was that fur?" Applejack asked her friend.

"What? "The pink pony said with a shrug, "I was just seeing if she could hear us."

Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled, Pinkie Pie was Pinkie after all. "Okay, now that we know how the spell works, I'm going to need hair or precious items from Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, and we can follow each of them even if they split up."

" 'right Twilight, I'll go get something of Apple Bloom's from her room." The orange pony tipped her hat and headed on her way."

" Ooo! Ooo!" Pinkie Pie said as she raised her hand in the air like she was in school, "I can find something of Scoots! It will be like a scavenger hunt!" and with that she was off, leaving a Pony shaped cloud of dust where she had been sitting.

"Now Rarity..." She turned around to face her friend, and saw her staring intently into the bowl. She knew how much Rarity cared for her little sister, and decided to let her be alone for a little while.

The purple unicorn went down to the basement of the Library when she kept her "Lab" She never did much with chemistry, instead using it for practice space for new spells most of the time. On a desk she found what she was looking for, a golden coin and a small bottle, and brought them over to sit beside a map of Equestria she had on the wall.

"Well I got that scrying spell to work right away, lets see if I can do this one." Once more Twilight closed her eyes in concentration, this time the coin and map began glowing purple. For almost a minute Twilight continued to work her magic, beads of sweat forming on her head. Finally with a final burst of purple light Twilight opened her eyes. The coin look the same as ever, but on the map was a small purple dot on the edge of Ponyville, right where her tree-house is.

"Perfect..." she said as she finished catching her breath, just one more thing and I can take a break for a little while, at least this one is simple."

Once more she reached out with her magic, grabbed an inked quill and some paper, and began to write." She then wrapped the letter around the coin and the bottle, and with a purple flash it was gone.

Up on a cloud overlooking the Crusader Clubhouse, a cyan colored pony was napping on a cloud while a baby dragon sat in a saddle on her back enjoying an apple and looking down at the clubhouse, watching to see when the Crusaders would come out. He felt a now familiar sensation and with a loud burp out out came green flames, and out of that a scroll. He caught it and quickly began unrolling it, barely catching the coin and bottle as they fell out. Putting the two items in the pegasus's saddlebags, spike brought the scroll up to his face.

_"Dear Spike,_

_After I received your last letter, I began research on some tracking spells, and have been able to place one on the coin. The bottle contains a very strong glue. What I need you and Rainbow Dash to do is to attach the coin to the Crusader's wagon and we will be able to follow them from the library instead of watching them all the time. _

_ Good Luck,_

_ Twilight Sparkle_

_P.S. Missing my number one assistant, see you soon!_

Spike rolled the letter up and placed it in the saddle bag, grabbing the coin and bottle instead.

"Hey Rainbow," he said as he gently rubbed her head, "get up, we got another letter from Twilight and we need to get down to the wagon.

"Huh? What?" She muttered as she shook the sleep from her eyes. Spike quickly explained what the letter had said and the pegasus nodded her head in agreement. "Right, well let's get to it while those fillies are still sleeping the day away, hang on!" Without another word of warning Rainbow jumped off the cloud and dove down towards the ground, slowing them down just in time to prevent a crash landing. Shaken, but still doing alright, Spike climbed down and walked over to the wagon, which was parked under a nearby tree and was loaded and ready to go. With the coin and glue in his hands, he laid down next to the wagon and opened the bottle. He place a very large dab of glue one side of the coin and slapped it on the underside of wagon, causing some of the glue to drip onto his claw. With that he quickly ran back to Rainbow, who was standing by the clubhouse.

"Well did you get it stuck on there?" She asked as he came back.

"Piece of cake!" he responded as he pretended to wipe dust from his claws, only when they touched they became stuck together.

"Uh oh." The dragon said quietly, trying to hide what had just happened from his cyan companion.

"Come on! We gotta go now, Scootaloo's starting to wake up!" she whisper harshly. Spike climbed awkwardly into his saddle. He did his best to hold unto the pommel, and hoped that Twilight could fix this before anypony, especially Rarity, found out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Fruition

The sun had almost finished setting, and as the yellow earth pony with a red bow in her mane turned around, she knew she would see the moon rising as Princess Luna brought it up for the night. Apple Bloom and her two friends had been awake for a few hours, and had used that time to check and recheck their wagon and supplies along with resting and relaxing. They all knew that they were going to have a few long days ahead of them as they began their journey to Canterlot. Now the Cutie Mark Crusaders were laying underneath a tree and watching as one by one the stars began to appear.

"Ugh!" the orange pegasus Scootaloo cried out, "All this waiting is soooo boring! Can't we go already!"

"Naw hold on there Scoots," Apple Bloom said, never taking her eyes off the horizon as it became darker and darker. "The road ta Canterlot goes right through the middle o' Ponyville, and we gotta give everypony time ta go ta sleep so they don't see us."

Scootaloo gave a loud groan and set her head back down on her front hooves. Sweetie Belle was doodling on a piece of paper as she quietly hummed to herself, the latest drawing being of 3 gems arranged in a triangle. She was anxious about the road ahead and leaving Ponyville, but she wanted her cutie mark more then anything, and she knew how proud her sister would be when she came home no longer a blank flank. Apple bloom Came out of the clubhouse holding two lit lanterns in her mouth and their Cutie Mark Crusaders capes draped over her back.

"A'ight guys, This is it, time ta head out of Ponyville an find our cutie marks!" The unicorn and pegasus took their capes and put them on as Apple Bloom hung the lanterns from the scooter's handlebars.

"Finally!" Scootaloo said with relief, jumping onto her scooter as soon as her cape was on.

"Don't go too fast Scoots," Sweetie Belle chimed in as she neatly knotted her cape around her neck using her magic. "or you'll leave us in the dust."

"I know, I know." she responded as she strapped on her helmet, "Everypony ready?"

The two other crusaders nodded as they trotted over to stand on either side of the scooter. All three raised a hoof in the air as they said in unison, "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS CANTERLOT BOUND!" and with that they were on their way.

It wasn't long until the three young fillies had left Sweet Apple Acres and were walking down the main street of Ponyville. All the lights were out but between their lanterns and the bright moon they could still see quite well. As they walk down the street they saw the different buildings of their little hometown. Apple Bloom looked at the currently empty Apple Family stand in the market square, and remembered when she had tried to be a salespony. Sweetie Belle saw Carousal boutique in the darkness and couldn't help but think of her sister. Scootaloo gave a brief nod in the direction of Cliffhanger's Sports Shop, where she had been able to get all the equipment for their attempts at their cutie marks. As the three walked closer and closer to the city limits, they couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at leaving the town they knew so well. Still all three knew in their hearts that unless they left, they would never be able to find their special talents, and so onward they went. The last building they passed was Twilight's Library, in which almost all the lights were still on.

" She's probably jus' studin' her books again" Apple Bloom said to her friends.

"Does that pony do anything but study?" Scootaloo added in, and the three friends walked on, not giving it another thought.

"Well, they've done it, the Cutie Mark crusaders just left the outskirts of Ponyville and are now on the road to Canterlot." The purple and pinked maned unicorn said factually. She was in the main room of the library. She was looking at the enchanted map, which she had brought up from the basement and had tacked to the only wall not covered in books.

"I still don't see why 'n the hay we couldn't stop 'em, or at least help 'em get ready." Applejack said, she was sitting on a rug next to the counter, on which rested three large bowls, one showing a purple mane orange pegasus, the middle one a white unicorn with a light purple and pink mane, and in the last bowl was a yellow earth pony with a bright red mane and a bow in her hair. They were the three scrying bowls that Twilight had set up. Shortly after Applejack and Pinkie Pie had left her library they had both returned with hair from the the two fillies. Applejack had brought a brush that belonged to her sister, and Pinkie pie simply held a hooffull of purple hairs, she hadn't said where she had got them, but Twilight guess that they were probably from the barbershop in town. How Pinkie knew they were Scootaloo's hair was just something that Twilight attributed to Pinkie Sense and decided it wasn't worth over analyzing.

"AJ, we have to let them find their special talents on their own, and I understand you are worried, but we have the bowls and the map, so we always know how they are doing, and it they get into trouble they are only a pegasus flight or a unicorn teleport away." the purple unicorn said in a calming tone.

"Al' ight Twi," The earth pony responded as she got up to look into the bowls yet again. "by th' way, how long r them scryin' bowl supposed ta last?"

"As long as the bowls are not disturb, they will last as long as we need them to." Twilight answered, just then the kitchen door opened, and out of it came a canary yellow pegasus with a pastel pink mane. On her tail she carrying a tray with a steaming teapot and four china teacups on it.

"The tea is ready, it's an herbal tea I make myself, it always helps me calm down after a hard day, if you want some that is." She said as she began to fill the glass with tea. She had come over that evening to check up on her friends and see if they had any new on the three fillies.

"Thank you very much Fluttershy." The unicorn said as the took hold of a full cup with her magic and brought it over to her. It smelled of peach, lavender, and violets, and when she took a sip she felt the warmth spread through her body and she could feel some of the tension of the day melting away. Applejack had also taken a teacup and Twilight could see a look of calmness passing onto the earth pony's face.

"Your very welcome Twilight, by the way, has Rarity come down yet?" The pegasus said after her friends had started drinking. Several hours earlier the white unicorn and turned from the scrying bowls, said that "she needed to be alone for a little while" and quickly went upstairs to Twilight's bedroom.

"Not yet." Twilight answered with a yawn, between the tea and a day of intense magic spells she was ready to sleep.

"Oh I hope she's alright, I going to go check on her." The canary yellow pegasus said as she lifted the tray with the teapot and two remaining cups back onto her tail and walked up the stairs. She stopped in front on the door to Twilight's bedroom and gave a gentle knock on the door.

"Rarity, is it alright if I come in?" Fluttershy said quietly. There was no answer, so the pegaus gave the door a nudge and walked into the room. In the moonlight she could see her friend curled up on the guest bed. When she entered the white pony raised her head to look at who it was coming in. Fluttershy walked into the room and closed the door behind her. As she looked at her unicorn friend she could see that her eyes were red with a wet line of fur under each one, and her mane, which always seemed to be perfectly styled no matter what, was disheveled with hairs going off in every direction.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this." Rarity said with a sniffle

"It's alright," Fluttershy responded as she set the tray on the nightstand. "I know you are worried about your sister and her friends, we all are. Would your like some tea, I promise it will help you feel better."

"That would be nice, thank you Fluttershy." The unicorn said as the pegasus poured two glasses of tea, taking one up in her hoofs as the other was lifted by blue magic and floated over to her friend. Fluttershy sat on the bed next to her friend as the drank in silence. After some time Rarity levitated her cup over to the nightstand and set it down on the tray. "Thank you so much, I do feel a little better now."

"You're welcome," Fluttershy said with a gentle smile as she set her cup down on the tray also. "Have you been able to get any sleep while you have been up here?" She added with a gentle voice.

The white unicorn simply shook her head. "I don't know if I will ever be able to sleep while Sweetie Belle is gone. " She said as a few fresh tears began forming in her eyes as she thought about her little sister again.

"Oh Rarity," Fluttershy said with empathy in her voice as she slide closer to her friend and added gently. "I know that they will be alright, come over here." She sat up and open her front hoofs, and Rarity turned and set her head down on the pegasus's shoulder. Fluttershy began to stroke her friend's head and mane as she began to sing softly.

"_Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now quiet now it's time to go to bed..."_

At first she felt a few small wet patches forming on her fur, but slowly she could feel the unicorn's breath becoming deeper and more even as she fell asleep. Slowly she lifted her friend's head off her shoulder and set it down on the bed, making sure not to wake her up. She took the bed covers and set them over her friend, and then as quietly as possible tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind her. As she walked down the stairs she saw that both Twilight and Applejack had also fallen asleep. They were both in the same places they had been when Fluttershy had gone upstairs, with Twilight in the chair near the map and Applejack on the rug next to the counter. Fluttershy smiled, seeing how they had watched the Crusaders as long as they could to make sure they were safe. She quickly went back upstairs to the closet and came down with three blankets. She used two of them to cover her friends, wishing them both sweet dreams as she did. She then went to Owloysius on his perch and asked "Owloysius, if you could, it would be very nice of you if you could watch the Cutie Mark Crusaders tonight and let us know if anything happens to them."

The owl gave a quick "Whooo" and flew over to the counter next to the bowls. Fluttershy gave him a smile and thanked him as she walked over to take one last look into the scrying bowls. She saw that they were still walking along the road and she said, "Good night girls, stay safe." With that she walked around the room turning out the lights, then she laid down in the glow of the fireplace, threw the final blanket over herself, and was soon asleep.


End file.
